A Blast in Israel

"You are going to die."

Most people don't hear that before they go on a family vacation. Then again, most families don't go on vacations to Israel right after the conflict with Hezbollah. Well, my family did.

My brother lives in Modi'in, Israel and wanted us to visit him for his 30th birthday. We'd been there before, so we booked the trip without hesitation. Then, violence erupted. Rockets flew. People died. We had a vacation planned, but Hezbollah didn't seem to care. Suddenly, our trip didn't seem like such a good idea. Doubts began creeping into our minds, well, at least mine.

I'll admit it; I'm not the bravest person around. I'm scared of birds. I'm not kidding. If pigeons are walking on the sidewalk around me, I get uncomfortable, sweaty, sometimes even switching sides of the street to avoid them. So, as you can imagine, I wasn't too enthused about going to Israel during a war. I started watching CNN obsessively. I wanted Anderson Cooper to tell me that everything would be okay. Well, he didn't. Instead, I watched footage of things getting blown up, buildings burning, and people dying. Not my idea of a vacation.

I started believing people when they told me I was going to die. I looked at the trip like skydiving. Why tempt fate? Why put myself in harm's way? So, I began calling my parents. "What are we doing? We can't go. Why can't we cancel and go to Florida?" I tried reasoning with them. "Mom, if there was a war in Texas, would you fly to Texas?" I even joked about calling child services to tell them that my parents were making me go to a war-torn country.

My mother told me to stop being a baby. What happened to the lady who wouldn't let me play tackle football because I might get hurt?

My mother told me to stop being a baby. She kept saying, "You can do what you want, but I'm going." My own mother, calling me out. What happened to the lady who wouldn't let me play tackle football because I might get hurt? Where was the overprotective Jewish mother who always reminded me to wear my jacket?

Right before our trip, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire. I still wasn't jumping for joy, but I decided to go. I mean, if my whole family died on the trip, I didn't want to be the sole survivor. What fun is inheriting all of your family's stuff when you have no one to enjoy it with? I'm not about to sit alone at my new dining room table on my first family-less Thanksgiving. So, I was in. Next stop, the holy land.

My brother and his wife greeted us at the airport in Tel Aviv. I was shocked to see other people flying into Israel. I figured we'd be the only idiots risking our lives. Definitely not the first time I'd be proven wrong on the trip.

We went to the beach, and there were people everywhere. We went to the movies, and it was packed. I'm an American. When things go wrong here, people lay low. Not Israelis; they've grown up differently. If they stayed home every time something went wrong, they'd barely see the light of day.

We spent ten days in Israel and had a blast, not a literal one either. My family and I had quite the vacation. We were all over Israel, and not once were we in danger (pay attention people who keep asking me). Well, actually, we almost died once, but only because my dad turned the wrong way down a one-way street. Other than that mishap, I never felt like I was going to die, and that's a bold statement coming from me. I didn't see any rockets. I didn't hear gunfire. No one died in my vicinity. I'll tell you what I did see: beaches, the beautiful country of Israel, and way too much of my family.

I learned a lesson. You can't spend your life asking "What if?" The only question I'm asking now is when can I go back?

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Visitor Comments: 9

(9)
aaronkinsberg,
October 3, 2006 7:19 AM

VISIT ISRAEL

COUPLE CANCELS SURPRISE PARTIES TO USE MONEY TO VISIT ISRAEL

I found the article "A Blast In Israel" BY Jeff Danis quite sad. I understand Mr. Danis' wish to show that Israel is a safe country to visit. But how a one even think about canceling the trip.

My 27 year old son, Ami, went to Israel to help celebrate my great nephew's Bar-Mitzvah when the war erupted. He did not even think of leaving early. Nor did anybody else on that trip. In he midst of the war, my son, Ari, left for Israel with his wife Miriam & my grandson, Ilan David.

Ami returned to the US in the middle of July and bought a ticket for a 5 day return visit.

I could not leave for Israel as I was teaching summer school. However, when Ami told me of his purchase of a ticket to return to Israel again, I turned to my wife, Linda, and asked, "Is there any way we can raise money to go?"It came out. She was saving money for my 60th birthday surprise party in October & I was saving money to give her a surprise retirement party.We looked at each other and said, "We don't need parties. We need to go to Israel NOW." The war was over when we arrived. But at no time did we hesitate about the purchase of the tickets. Needless to say, the trip was great & neither one of us is sorry about our decision.While doing shopping in Yerushalayim, I asked the owner of a store on Rehov Melech George, "How's business?" His answer, "The tourists are missing."

(8)
Anonymous,
October 1, 2006 11:53 PM

;;imean, if my whole family died on the trip, I didn't want to be the sole survivor;;i love this line!

(7)
Deena,
September 30, 2006 3:17 PM

Great article!

This is such a well written, enjoyable, funny and true article. Thank you!

(6)
Jen,
September 30, 2006 9:02 AM

hilarious...

OMG, completely hilarious. I can't wait to go to Israel myself. Thanks for this, it was brilliant!

(5)
reflectivejew,
September 28, 2006 7:05 PM

good, but....

it's great that you went to celebrate even amidst the war. but did anyone think of helping out too? perhaps you did that but we didn't get to hear about it. thanks for your piece.

(4)
Keren,
September 28, 2006 6:52 PM

So True! Am Yisrael Chai!

I love your article. My family and I went to Israel last year for the very first time. We have no family there, but a few freinds. All of our friends here kept telling us we were nuts to go somewhere, where there were suicide bombers, and all of that conflict between Jews and Arabs. All I can tell you is we had the time of our lives... my husband, myself, and my teenage daughter. We can't wait to go back. You are so right, you have to look at it like the Israeli's do. Just live your life, enjoy the beautiful place that Hashem has given us! L'Chaim!

(3)
Laurie,
September 27, 2006 5:18 AM

Com'mon!

Excuese me? Every day I open CNN's website and am stunned by the level of violence that I see in America? A woman dragged to death? Another's throat slashed and her newborn kidnapped? A third killed, her stomach knifed, and her 3 dead kids found in the washer/dryer? And this is only ONE WEEK! And YOU GUYS are SCARED to come HERE? Honestly...I'm terrified to go back and visit America!

(2)
PaulI.Roda,MD,FACP,
September 25, 2006 9:34 PM

My son and I did (almost) the same

Having many friends in the Israeli oncology community, I decided that the second Israel -- American conference on Novel Therapeutics was a great excuse to revisit Israel, accompanied by my son who had last been there a decade earlier for his bar mitzvah. Shortly after landing, Hamas abducted the three soldiers and the IDF responded militarily. My colleagues in the U.S. wondered if I would leave immediately, but I felt my place was to remain, showing support for my colleagues and friends who live in Israel. While we listened for air raid sirens in Jerusalem and heard the sounds of IDF jets overhead, we didn't leave until our previously arranged flights.

(1)
Bonnie,
September 25, 2006 8:27 PM

...interesting that you should write this article at this time. Our Temples high school class is going to Israel in December, and as a potential chaperone I have found myself experiencing this same fear. But then again, I could get hit by a car (I live in Chicago) walking across the street....